2 Church Employees Due in Court in Sex Abuse Case

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Two of five Tulsa Victory Christian Center employees facing misdemeanor charges for waiting more than two weeks to report the rape of a 13-year-old girl are due in district court Monday.

John and Charica Daugherty, who are the son and daughter-in-law of Victory Christian Center senior pastor Sharon Daugherty, both claim they are innocent of the charges.

Three other Victory employees are due in court next month on the same charges.

One ex-employee of the ministry, 20-year-old Chris Denman, pleaded guilty last month to raping the 13-year-old in a stairwell on church property and other sex crimes. He could face life in prison when he's sentenced in December.

Another ex-employee, Israel Castillo, is due in court Nov. 29 on charges of making a lewd proposal to a child. He's pleaded not guilty.